How to send jet lag packing
NUTRITION
Nutritionist Charlotte Fraser recommends making sure you slot back in with the eating routine wherever you are locally. Consequently, if it’s breakfast time, eat breakfast – whether your body feels as though you should do or not. Flying can be very dehydrating, so make sure you drink lots of water to replenish what the flight has taken out of you. That dehydrating atmosphere can also contribute to the constipation a lot of people get as a result of flying. Fraser recommends eating lots of fresh vegetables (particularly leafy green ones that are richer in magnesium, which is a stress-buster) and wholegrains to support your bowel. “Wholegrains are rich in B vitamins which give you that energy pick-me-up and help calm the nerves – very useful when you’re finding yourself thrown back into the daily grind,” says Fraser. You might also want to up your vitamin C intake via some fresh fruit and vegetables to try to ward off any colds and germs circulating on the plane.
www.naturopathic-nutrition.com
TREATMENTS
THE JET LAG REVIVER
First up is a full body salt and oil scrub before cramped limbs are given a circulation-boosting massage. The scrub and massage enliven skin, boost blood flow and zap the stress of travel, leaving you with a spring in your step as you acclimatise to being home again.
£120 for 1hr 25 minutes at Spa Chancery Court, 252 High Holborn, WC1V 7EN, tel: 020 7829 7058.
RAW GLOW JET LAG FACIAL
Glow Urban Spa has mastered the art of using natural ingredients to revitalise tired skin. The facial uses completely fresh ingredients – think berries, goat milk, honey and oatmeal – that are blended on site. First, a natural cleanse and exfoliation, followed by the Jet Lag mask (the fresh mixture) and finally, a Raw Glow regenerating serum.
60 mins for £90.00 at Glow Urban Spa, 8 Motcomb Street SW1X 8JU, tel: 020 7752 0652.
THE TRAVELLER
This stalwart for the travel-weary gentleman is a head-to-foot treatment. The massage helps to release and eliminate tired, tense muscles while enhancing deep relaxation. A must-do for those who have been in the air for a while, or are permanently on the go. 75 mins for £115.00 at Gentlemen’s Tonic, 31a Bruton Place, W1J 6NN, tel: 020 7297 4343
YOGA
Practicing a bit of yoga can be an especially effective way of restoring some equilibrium after long-haul travel. If you’ve been sitting scrunched up in a seat for a long time, yoga stretches will ease and relax your body, while breathing exercises and postures can calm and rejuvenate body and mind. “It reboots your energy, encourages healthy regulation of your hormonal systems, and concentrating on breathing oxygenates your blood and gives you a sense of wellbeing,” says Alessia Avellino of Camden yoga centre Alchemy (www.alchemythecentre.co.uk). She recommends doing some gentle stretches and breathing exercises before and during the flight to lessen the jet lag impact. On returning, sit down cross-legged and take in 10 deep, long breaths. Then interlace the hands, breathe in deeply and stretch the palms right up above the head, before releasing – repeat this 10 times.
Next, simple positions like the Downward-facing Dog (head-down on hands and feet with bum in the air), the Child’s Pose (kneeling doubled up with bum touching heels and arms stretched forwards, illustrated below) and the Cobra (lying on your belly and lifting the head and chest off the floor), all mixed with some long, deep breaths while holding position will help revitalise and rebalance.
LOTIONS ‘N’ POTIONS | BEAT THE LAG
SPRAYOLOGY TRAVELEASE
£18
www.glowgetter.com
This spray, which goes under the tongue, contains eight “re-balancing” ingredients including cocculus (Indian cockle tree) for drowsiness and fatigue; apis (honey bee) for dehydration, and nux vomica (chestnut) for feelings of disorientation.
H GILLERMAN TRAVEL REMEDY
£38
www.glowgetter.com
The essential oils in this blend help you to adjust to temperature, climate and time-zone shits. “It has an uplifting lemon-balm scent which helps to reduce post-travel discomfort,” says Georgie Wolfenden, herbal remedy expert.
NUDE CELLULAR RENEWAL SERUM
£68
www.nudeskincare.com
Helena Christensen and Erin O’Connor swear by it. Say hello to the brand new Nude skincare line (available in the UK from September), whose facial serum battles the drying effects of plane air with the likes of Japanese sea kelp and bioactive peptides to keep skin plump.